personal memoirs-2-第58章

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political　career；　he　found　that　Germany　was　not　sufficiently　advanced

for　republicanism。　　He　said；　further；　that　he　had　been　reluctant　to

enter　upon　this　public　career；　that　he　had　always　longed　to　be　a

soldier；　but　that　here　again　family　opposition　had　turned　him　from

the　field　of　his　choice　into　the　sphere　of　diplomacy。



Not　far　from　Mars…la…Tour　we　alighted；　and　in　a　little　while　an　aide…

de…camp　was　introduced；　who　informed　me　that　he　was　there　to　conduct

and　present　me　to　his　Majesty；　the　King　of　Prussia。　　As　we　were

walking　along　together；　I　inquired　whether　at　the　meeting　I　should

remove　my　cap；　and　he　said　no；　that　in　an　out…of…door　presentation　it

was　not　etiquette　to　uncover　if　in　uniform。　　We　were　soon　in　presence

of　the　King；　whereunder　the　shade　of　a　clump　of　second…growth

poplar…trees；　with　which　nearly　all　the　farms　in　the　north　of　France

are　here　and　there　dottedthe　presentation　was　made　in　the　simplest

and　most　agreeable　manner。



His　Majesty；　taking　my　hand　in　both　of　his；　gave　me　a　thorough

welcome；　expressing；　like　Count　Bismarck；　though　through　an

interpreter；　much　interest　as　to　the　sentiment　in　my　own　country

about　the　war。　　At　this　time　William　the　First　of　Prussia　was

seventy…three　years　of　age；　and；　dressed　in　the　uniform　of　the

Guards；　he　seemed　to　be　the　very　ideal　soldier；　and　graced　with　most

gentle　and　courteous　manners。　　The　conversation；　which　was　brief；　as

neither　of　us　spoke　the　other's　native　tongue；　concluded　by　his

Majesty's　requesting　me　in　the　most　cordial　way　to　accompany　his

headquarters　during　the　campaign。　　Thanking　him　for　his　kindness；　I

rejoined　Count　Bismarck's　party；　and　our　horses　having　arrived

meantime；　we　mounted　and　moved　off　to　the　position　selected　for　the

King　to　witness　the　opening　of　the　battle。



This　place　was　on　some　high　ground　overlooking　the　villages　of

Rezonville　and　Gravelotte；　about　the　centre　of　the　battlefield　of

Mars…la…Tour；　and　from　it　most　of　the　country　to　the　east　toward　Metz

could　also　be　seen。　　The　point　chosen　was　an　excellent　one　for　the

purpose；　though　in　one　respect　disagreeable；　since　the　dead　bodies　of

many　of　the　poor　fellows　killed　there　two　days　before　were　yet

unburied。　　In　a　little　while　the　King's　escort　began　to　remove　these

dead；　however；　bearing　them　away　on　stretchers　improvised　with　their

rifles；　and　the　spot　thus　cleared　was　much　more　acceptable。　　Then；

when　such　unexploded　shells　as　were　lying　around　loose　had　been

cautiously　carried　away；　the　King；　his　brother；　Prince　Frederick

Charles　Alexander；　the　chief…of…staff；　General　von　Moltke；　the

Minister　of　War；　General　von　Roon；　and　Count　von　Bismarck　assembled

on　the　highest　point；　and　I　being　asked　to　join　the　group；　was　there

presented　to　General　von　Moltke。　　He　spoke　our　language　fluently；　and

Bismarck　having　left　the　party　for　a　time　to　go　to　a　neighboring

house　to　see　his　son；　who　had　been　wounded　at　Mars…la…Tour；　and　about

whom　he　was　naturally　very　anxious；　General　von　Moltke　entertained　me

by　explaining　the　positions　of　the　different　corps；　the　nature　and

object　of　their　movements　then　taking　place；　and　so　on。



Before　us；　and　covering　Metz；　lay　the　French　army；　posted　on　the

crest　of　a　ridge　extending　north；　and　about　its　centre　curving

slightly　westward　toward　the　German　forces。　　The　left　of　the　French

position　was　but　a　short　distance　from　the　Moselle；　and　this　part　of

the　line　was　separated　from　the　Germans　by　a　ravine；　the　slopes；

fairly　well　wooded；　rising　quite　sharply；　farther　north；　near　the

centre；　this　depression　disappeared；　merged　in　the　general　swell　of

the　ground；　and　thence　on　toward　the　right　the　ground　over　which　an

approach　to　the　French　line　must　be　made　was　essentially　a　natural

open　glacis；　that　could　be　thoroughly　swept　by　the　fire　of　the

defenders。



The　line　extended　some　seven　or　eight　miles。　　To　attack　this

position；　formidable　everywhere；　except　perhaps　on　the　right　flank；

the　Germans　were　bringing　up　the　combined　forces　of　the　First　and

Second　armies；　troops　that　within　the　past　fortnight　had　already

successfully　met　the　French　in　three　pitched　battles。　　On　the　right

was　the　First　Army；　under　command　of　General　Von　Steinmetz；　the

victors；　August　6；　of　Spicheren；　near　Saar；　and；　eight　days　later；　of

Colombey；　to　the　east　of　Metz；　while　the　centre　and　left　were

composed　of　the　several　corps　of　the　Second　Army；　commanded　by　Prince

Frederick　Charles　of　Prussia；　a　part　of　whose　troops　had　just　been

engaged　in　the　sanguinary　battle　of　Mars…la…Tour；　by　which　Bazaine

was　cut　off　from　the　Verdun　road；　and　forced　back　toward　Metz。



At　first　the　German　plan　was　simply　to　threaten　with　their　right；

while　the　corps　of　the　Second　Army　advanced　toward　the　north；　to

prevent　the　French；　of　whose　intentions　there　was　much　doubt；　from

escaping　toward　Chalons；　then；　as　the　purposes　of　the　French　might

be；　developed；　these　corps　were　to　change　direction　toward　the　enemy

successively；　and　seek　to　turn　his　right　flank。　　But　the　location　of

this　vital　turning…point　was　very　uncertain；　and　until　it　was

ascertained　and　carried；　late　in　the　afternoon；　the　action　raged　with

more　or　less　intensity　along　the　entire　line。



But　as　it　is　not　my　purpose　to　describe　in　detail　the　battle　of

Gravelotte；　nor　any　other；　I　will　speak　of　some　of　its　incidents

merely。　　About　noon；　after　many　preliminary　skirmishes；　the　action

was　begun　according　to　the　plan　I　have　already　outlined；　the　Germans

advancing　their　left　while　holding　on　strongly　with　their　right；　and

it　was　this　wing　（the　First　Army）　that　came　under　my　observation　from

the　place　where　the　King's　headquarters　were　located。　　From　here　we

could　see；　as　I　have　said；　the　village　of　Gravelotte。　　Before　it　lay

the　German　troops；　concealed　to　some　extent；　especially　to　the　left；

by　clumps　of　timber　here　and　there。　　Immediately　in　front　of　us；

however；　the　ground　was　open；　and　the　day　being　clear　and　sunny；　with

a　fresh　breeze　blowing　（else　the　smoke　from　a　battle　between　four

hundred　thousand　men　would　have　obstructed　the　view　altogether）；　the

spectacle　presented　Was　of　unsurpassed　magnificence　and　sublimity。

The　German　artillery　opened　the　battle；　and　while　the　air　was　filled

with　shot　and　shell　from　hundreds　of　guns　along　their　entire　line；

the　German　centre　and　left；　in　rather　open　order；　moved　out　to　the

attack；　and　as　they　went　forward　the　reserves；　in　close　column；　took

up　positions　within　supporting　distances；　yet　far　enough　back　to　be

out　of　range。



The　French　artillery　and　mitrailleuses　responded　vigorously　to　the

Krupps；　and　with　deadly　effect；　but　as　far　as　we　could　see　the　German

left　continued　its　advance；　and　staff…officers　came　up　frequently　to

report　that　all　was　going　on　well　at　points　hidden　from　our　view

These　reports　were　always　made　to　the　King　first；　and　whenever

anybody　arrived　with　tidings　of　the　fight　we　clustered　around　to　hear

the　news；　General　Von　Moltke　unfolding　a　map　meanwhile；　and

explaining　the　situation。　　This　done；　the　chief　of　the　staff；　while

awaiting　the　next　report；　would　either　return　to　a　seat　that　had　been

made　for　him　with　some　knapsacks；　or　would　occupy　the　time　walking

about；　kicking　clods　of　dirt　or　small　stones　here　and　there；　his

hands　clasped　behind　his　back；　his　face　pale　and　thoughtful。　　He　was

then　nearly　seventy　years　old；　but　because　of　his　emaciated　figure；

the　deep　wrinkles　in　his　face；　and　the　crow's…feet　about　his　eyes；　he

looked　even　older；　his　appearance　being　suggestive　of　the　practice　of

church　asceticisms　rather　than　of　his　well…known　ardent　devotion　to

the　military　profession。



By　the　middle　of　the　afternoon　the　steady　progress　of　the　German　left

and　centre　had　driven　the　French　from　their　more　advanced　positions

from　behind　stone　walls　and　hedges；　through　valleys　and　hamlets；　in

the　direction　of　Metz；　but　as　yet　the　German　right　had　accomplished

little　　except　to　get　possession　of　the　village　of　Grav